Tag Archives: Yellow Jackets

During the summer months, Monmouth County NJ pest control companies deal with yellow jackets and other stinging pests. Although you might hear yellow jackets referred to as bees, they’re actually not. These pests are a type of wasp.

Yellow Jacket Identification

Do you have honeybees or yellow jackets in your yard? You can tell yellow jackets by their yellow and black coloring and their smooth appearance. These pests don’t have the hairy legs and abdomen that honeybees have. Some yellow jackets also have more of a white and black coloring instead of yellow white, which also sets them apart from bees.

Yellow Jacket Behavior

Yellow jackets are known for stinging multiple times, which bees can’t do. Honeybees lose their stinger after stinging once, causing them to die. Yellow jackets don’t lose their stinger, so they’re able to sting repeatedly. They tend to attack if they feel threatened or if you get too close to their nest. Despite the threat they pose to people, especially those who are allergic, they also do some good. Yellow jackets get rid of several insect pests that are found in NJ.

If you have a problem with yellow jackets or bees this summer, Allison Pest Control is here to help. As one of the top Monmouth County NJ pest control companies, we’ll make sure you and your family are safe from these stinging insects.

Yellow jackets are among the most feared stinging insects and for good reason. These pests are usually more of a nuisance than paper wasps and hornets thanks to their nesting habits and diet.

Keep the following information in mind if you want to know whether or not you have yellow jackets around the yard. Don’t hesitate to have our exterminators in Freehold get rid of them for you.

Physical Appearance

Yellow jackets, like hornets and paper wasps, also have elongated bodies with no hair on them. These insects also have straight stingers that deliver painful stings over and over again when they attack.

Nesting Habits

Yellow jackets live in colonies of more than 100, just like hornets. They also build enclosed paper nests, but they usually build theirs underground. In some cases, you might see yellow jacket nests hanging instead of in the ground. The fact that they tend to build nests underground makes it easy to accidentally disturb one. Take care when mowing your lawn or running around your yard.

Diet

Yellow jackets don’t feed on live insects like hornets and paper wasps. Instead, they feed on dead insects and sugars. This means you’re more likely to have them around when you’re eating or drinking outside.

When you see a big black and yellow flying insect, you might assume it’s a hornet, but some of these are actually different species. The baldfaced hornet is a yellowjacket species that Monmouth County pest control professionals deal with. Here’s what you should know about this stinging insect.

Baldfaced hornets are common in most of the U.S., including New Jersey. You can tell that you’re dealing with these pests from the white markings they have on their face, legs, thorax and abdomen. These hornets usually build their large, papery nests in shrubs, bushes and trees, although you can also find them hanging under the eaves of homes. Baldfaced hornets live in colonies that contain a queen. When the weather gets warm, the queen emerges from hiding and starts to build a nest and deposit eggs. When the weather turns cold again, the queen and a few other hornets go into hiding again, while the other members of the colony die.

Although baldfaced hornets can be helpful to have around, since they feed on other yellowjackets and insect pests, they can be dangerous to those who are allergic to hornet stings. Nests that are close to homes should be removed safely.

If you have a problem with hornets or wasps in your NJ home, don’t hesitate to contact Allison Pest Control. Our Monmouth County pest control experts can rid your home of these stinging pests safely.

Yellow jackets can be ground nesting wasps which are distinguishable from paper wasps by their shorter and stockier waists. They can and do nest beneath eaves, but since they are up high, they are much less of a problem than the ground nesting variety. The ground nesters can be a serious problem, especially if you step on their nest.

The Underground Nest

The most common underground nest is an abandoned rodent hole, but hollows in trees, stumps, wall cavities and even wood piles can be used to nest in. And just like the umbrella shaped paper nests that they make in trees or beneath eaves, this same type of nest is also constructed under ground.

Spring to Fall

An underground nest is impervious to high winds, rain, and even cold snaps. In the spring, the queen searches out a place to nest and establishes a colony. She raises the first few workers and after that, they take over the nursery duties while the queens prime function is to lay eggs.

In late fall, the coming cold weather shuts down the hive, and the only wasp that overwinters successfully is the queen. She hibernates until next spring when the whole process begins again.

If you you have underground wasp issues, and want more information to control them, please contact us at Allison Pest Control. Serving Monmouth and Ocean County for nearly 100 years.

The main difference between the two in appearance is that a paper wasp has a much slender waist than the stocky waist of the yellow jacket. Nesting wise, yellow jackets nest underground, are are sometimes called ground bees, while paper wasps commonly nest beneath branches or underneath eves. Their nests are made in an umbrella-like shape, and because of that, these wasps are also known as umbrella wasps.

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jackets prefer abandoned rodent holes as nests. However, virtually any hole that will accommodate multiple comb layers will do. They are difficult to see, and many times a person will step on or near a nest, get stung and not know where it came from. They particularly like areas of bare ground.

Paper Wasps

These nests are easy to spot under overhangs. They will widen out at the bottom as they grow, and in trees, they take on a fully formed oblong “beehive” shape. Although not as aggressive as yellow jackets, if their nests are disturbed, they will attack and sting.

If you you have wasp issues, want more information about their differences or need to control them, please contact us at Allison Pest Control. Serving Monmouth and Ocean County for nearly 100 years.

Tired of yellow jackets pestering your picnic? You’re not the only one enjoying the nice weather. Turns out, weather determines how bad yellow jackets will be in your area each year – and whether you’ll need Tom’s River pest control professionals to come to the rescue!

What’s the best weather for waning wasps?
Spring weather is the best indicator of upcoming wasp problems. Cold and rainy conditions in the spring months of April and May reduce the likelihood of queens building nests and collecting food for their many offspring.

Watch out for the warm ones!
Warm, dry weather during the spring has the opposite effect on yellow jackets, enhancing nest success.

Rain keeps your outdoor environment clean – of wasps!Yellow jackets rebuild nests each spring, so when overwintering queens emerge from their winter rest, rain makes it more difficult for a queen to do her duties: feeding on available nectar, sipping water, and stealing insects for food from your home’s landscape to raise her brood.

An exponential issue…
A single queen can lay tens of thousands of eggs. And aiding yellow jacket workers emerging in early summer have a longer lifespan (16-32 days) than those emerging late in the season (10-20 days). If rain doesn’t delay the enlargement of the nest, wasp problems may be compounded.